Present:
DEFENCE COSTS
SECRET
Record of the Second Plenary Meeting at
Government House on 29 October, 1975
UK
Mr. Andrew
HK
Minister of State
H.E.
for Defence
C.S.
F.S.
S for S
Cdre. Perowne
Mr. O'Keeffe
'Mr. Jones
Mr. Ward
Mr. Thorpe
Mr. Sandars
Mr. Wiggham Mr. Jenney PS/GH
Service Advisers
C.B.F.
Capt.-in-Charge
C.R.A.F.
Col. Tillotson Col. Palmer
H.E. opened the Meeting by asking the working
parties to report.
2.
The F.S., reporting for the working party on
costing and inflation, said that after a thorough examination
of the costing it had been concluded that it might be possible
to reduce the total a little. In addition to the reduction
of $5m per annum in respect of the change from the frigate
to the five patrol craft, there were four areas which it
was thought were worthy of further examination, but he was
not particularly optimistic as to the result. These were:
a)
b)
c)
Straight economies: Signals both personnel and equipment and EME were possible targets:
-
Substitution of local resources:
This may
be possible as regards education and medical
(in addition there was the question of credit
for private fees received in respect of the former);
Reallocation of costs: There may be some
elment of the Gurkha training costs which
should not be shared:
1
SECRET....